VantagePoint D
o you see that stack of 2x4s? Cut them into 24-inch lengths.” I had just walked off the sunny sidewalk
into the local community theater to volun- teer on the set crew. My eyes were still adjusting to the darkness, and my mind was still adjusting to the responsibility I had been given. You might think that using a circular saw to cut 2x4s is not a big deal. And it’s not, if you’re my age. But I was 11 years old at the time and my previous expe- rience with power tools was limited to a toaster and a blender. A lot was wrong with that day at
Portland Players. The carpenter who had worked to remodel my parents’ kitchen was a nice enough guy. When I told him about my interest in theater, he’d suggested that I start by helping to build sets. What he didn’t mention was that no one on the crew wore safety glasses, their humour was rib- ald and scatological, and most of them compensated for too little sleep with caf- feine and nicotine binges. Of course I didn’t know any of that just yet. My memory of that afternoon includes
the satisfactory crack of 10 penny nails being driven home, the raw squeal of saw blades and the smell of cut wood and old scrims. I remember the manly weight of that circular saw in my hand; I remember plug- ging it in and thinking I was the boss. I was also thinking, if I mess this up, I could lose a finger. I also remember the solid feeling of having an adult entrust me with a risky job. Against the backdrop of what is glibly
called “character education” or “teaching values,” I have pondered that experience at the theater to winnow the pertinence from the perilous. The outcome was clear, but some of the
methods were questionable. Over the next several seasons of volunteering at the the- ater, I learned hard skills — rough carpen- try, set design and lighting — as well as soft skills, like teamwork, time management and even a little acting. Most of all, I learned how a diverse but
dedicated community of creative people can assemble their strengths and make something great. In short, it was a charac-
30 Canada Camps Spring 2010
camp experience, I do understand what builds my character: experiential learning in a challenging context. No offensive or sketchy frills needed. I’d have grown just as much from the
responsibility of sizing lumber if I’d been wearing safety glasses and received a bit of instruction, maybe more. In fact, having better adult role models would no doubt have led to even better outcomes. The key is that I was doing, not discussing, what builds character. The notion that an adult can stand up
in front of a group of young people — lec- ture style — and teach them about values
tiative, inclusiveness and courage, and start leading me through some healthy risks that push me to construct those qualities. In retrospect, I did manage to build
something in the theater that day, but it wasn’t made of 2x4s.
CC
Dr. Christopher Thurber is the author of The Summer Camp Handbook and the co- founder of Expert Online Training, which hosts video training modules for camp staff. He serves as school psychologist at Phillips Exeter Academy and waterfront director at Camp Belknap. Visit
CampSpirit.com to learn more.
By Dr. Christopher Thurber
Actions Speak Louder than Words Camps must provide children the opportunity to take healthy risks that push them to learn more about virtues like sports- manship, courage and initiative
ter-building experience. Starting to sound like camp? It’s all well and good to have a blast producing Broadway shows on a shoestring budget, but what about the swearing, cigarettes and safety violations? Were those trappings necessary to build
my character? Of course not. If anything, they detracted from it. But thanks to my
or character has vanished in my mind. As youth development professionals,
we need to recommit to exposing boys and girls to healthy risks that push them out of their comfort zone. We need to excite our campers by entrusting them with new responsibilities — ones they don’t get at home or school. And we need to design programs that
give youth real decision-making power, rather than tokenistic choices. The 11-year- old in me is shouting to all camp staff: stop talking about sportsmanship, kindness, ini-
Photo: CampWanapitei
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